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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29718075">The Epitome Of Youth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anasticklefics/pseuds/anasticklefics'>anasticklefics</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stranger Things (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Tickling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:35:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29718075</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anasticklefics/pseuds/anasticklefics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>El isn’t used to the social norm and keeps saying the strangest things, such as asking Max if she can tickle her. But who is Max to deny her things?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Epitome Of Youth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>El could say the strangest things. Wait, okay, backtrack.</p>
<p>A summer of bare legs and scruffy knees, tangled hair and roadside kisses out of view. Their group of six splitting up, Mike and Lucas too weird about their breakups. Too prideful about their girlfriends now dating each other. But for them it barely mattered, which was definitely the honeymoon stage speaking, but Max couldn’t find it in her to care or change it just yet.</p>
<p>She would skate around Hawkins, El skipping beside her. Both laughing, chewing bubblegum and kicking pebbles out of their way. The epitome of youth if Max had ever seen one. A cliché, almost. Not having had their first proper big fight yet. Always exploring. Always curious and eager as they jumped into pools and ran through fields. It was as if the simple act of being was enough for them those weeks. They didn’t need books or comics or TV or stores (though they of course would be stupid to not utilize the entertainment laid so neatly in front of them from time to time). They would talk and laugh and run and kiss, and it would be enough.</p>
<p>But El could just say the strangest things.</p>
<p>Max had to admit her lack of a filter and embarrassment could be rather funny at times, but she’d also never spluttered as much as she had that summer. Afraid her eyes would get stuck in permanent surprise, her cheeks always warm as El looked at her so earnestly it nearly broke her heart.</p>
<p>But sometimes the questions her girlfriend would ask would just be so stupid that all she could do was laugh. She only stopped when she realized it upset El, but it was hard to bite it back sometimes, though try she did.</p>
<p>That day it wasn’t a question as much as a request. “Can you tickle me?”</p>
<p>Max stopped in her tracks. “Sorry?”</p>
<p>“Can you tickle me?”</p>
<p>She tilted her head at El, unsure of if she was messing with her. It wouldn’t be the first time. Eleven had realized Max would believe anything she said at this point and would sometimes act clueless just to see Max stumble through an explanation. But this wasn’t a request for Max to explain the concept of tickling, but a request to tickle.</p>
<p>“Like, now?”</p>
<p>“If you want.”</p>
<p>The field was entirely empty, the grass high enough to hide them from view if they lied down. Leaning against a tree for shade, they’d started tucking in on their sandwiches when El had suddenly piped up. They hadn’t even been <em>talking </em>about tickling, which made Max believe this was something that had been on her mind for a while now.</p>
<p>Max hadn’t even known El knew about it.</p>
<p>“Sure? I mean, if you want me to?”</p>
<p>“I do.” El’s smile was bright. Eager. “It’s been so long since someone did it to me. I miss it.”</p>
<p>“Did Mike use to-”</p>
<p>El nodded. “And Hopper.”</p>
<p>“Ah.” A beat, and, “And you liked it?”</p>
<p>“It was fun.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>“Do you like it?”</p>
<p>Max turned her face toward the sky, willing her blush to slow the fuck down. “A little. It’s fun.”</p>
<p>“It is.”</p>
<p>“And you want me to tickle you right now?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Okay, well.” Max turned to face her fully, grinning when El instinctively held out her hands. “Where are you ticklish?”</p>
<p>“Find out for yourself,” El said, and it was that teasing, playful tone that made the last bit of awkwardness in Max’s body melt away and she reached out with a laugh, going for El’s unprotected knees.</p>
<p>El squealed, moving her legs away but Max was too quick and took a hold of her calf, fluttering her fingers over the back of El’s left knee. Her squeals turned into proper belly laughter that Max adored with her whole heart. Twisting her body so that she was lying on her side, El managed to slip her leg out of Max’s grip. Not deterred, Max went for her sides, her shirt having slipped up and exposed a strip of smooth skin that was too tempting for her to leave alone.</p>
<p>“No!” El cried, still laughing, still squirming like crazy, but never asking Max to stop.</p>
<p>Max was laughing too, having forgotten how much fun it could be to reduce someone to a giggly mess. How much El had to trust her to let her do this.</p>
<p>“Where else are you ticklish?” she asked, moving her hands downward, trying to get to El’s belly, but finding it hard when El full on decided to lie on it. “Well, there’s always your armpits.”</p>
<p>El clamped her arms down, but Max managed to worm her fingers beneath them anyway, wiggling them as much as she could while El curled up beneath her. Repeating Max’s name now, over and over like a prayer.</p>
<p>Max leaned closer, her hair brushing El’s neck. “Can’t handle it?”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” El choked out between her laughter.</p>
<p>Max hummed. “I wouldn’t be cocky when you’re in this position, babe.” She slipped her hands free and moved them to El’s lower back, a mere guess, but El kept giggling. Not as much as before, but enough to keep Max going, fingertips light against her skin.</p>
<p>El rolled over to shield her back just like Max had hoped, and she attacked her girlfriend’s belly as soon as she could, making her cry out, knees rising, hands grabbing Max’s wrists, but all in all not doing anything to actually make her stop.</p>
<p>El had to <em>really </em>like this.</p>
<p>It had suddenly grown on Max as well.</p>
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